For the love of a vampire: In the Mansion

[Anonymous]

This isn't a post, but just to let others know that we have a possible plot outlined, which can be found here: http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/forum/ ... 2421#32421 Feel free to contribute, disagree, throw in your own plot twists or whatever- just don't want you guys RP'ing blindly!

[Anonymous]

ooc: BTW, I edited my post to add that last scene at the end. I sort of forgot once Arashel stops, Faraday stops as well. She's just pretty far away in some hallway, and free to be found if anyone wants, she is sort of injured too and unconscious.

[Anonymous]

Vivian smiled at him gently stroking his head as he held onto her. At least that was something! At least he ackonwledged her to be there. She felt something pass through her like he knew somethign about her. Her brow furowed. What could he know? She still needed to find something to cleanse his wounds with.

Damien!

She spun around to look at the girl flew off into darkness a scared look on her face. Vivian screamed.

"What is this?!"

She demanded of Damien this was his home and he brought all of them here to be safe but something was not safe. She frowned and held onto the boy harder making sure he would not fly away into the darkness of some hall. Her knowledge of magic extended to her own curse and that was it.

She did not know hardly anything about life or different creatures. She only knew a little of vampires knew hardly anything about much else. Her heart felt like it was being torn apart she had no idea what was going on.

You have to stay strong for yourself and the pup. He needs someone who will watch after him who knows when someone else will get sucked into the darkness. But don't ler him go alone.

((I can see that image of Faraday being sucked down the hallway so well lol it's so good. Great job guys!))

[Anonymous]

I tried to smile back at the wolf woman, but my attempt seemed forced. I wanted so badly to get out from between the four walls of the room that looked so tiny to someone who was as unfamiliar with the indoors as I was, but I knew I could not.

My twitching eyes stopped on the blonde man again, knowing something had happened to him. Like a vulture knew the difference between the dead beasts that were its prey and the dying beasts that would soon be, I could tell that his soul had somehow diminished in substance. He looked like he was in pain for a second, and then his expression returned to normal.

Had I not been preoccupied with the thought of the walls getting closer and closer until we were all crushed, I would have asked him what had happened. But the girl who'd been singing moments ago beat me to it, just before she stepped back, her face contorted with pain. She tried to hold onto the blonde man but whatever was pulling her was much too strong and she was dragged, kicking and screaming, down the shadowy hallway.

Wolf lady dropped me and shrieked, turning to face blondie. The broken-off arrow piece still embeded in my shoulder was jolted when I fell, and I could hear myself cry out in pain. Several drops of fresh blood trickled down my back. I didn't hear the woman voice the exact same question I had been thinking.

When I recovered from the sharp, sudden stab of pain, I wondered if perhaps someone should go find the poor girl. My legs were too shaky and weak for me to stand on my own, and I didn't want to be left alone in this room. I looked up at the blonde man, the usual fire in my eyes now accompanied by fear.

"Sh-should one of us go after her?"

My tone was panicked, verging on hysterical. My voice cracked and shook like a sapling in a storm, and hearing strong emotion in it was so rare that I barely recognized my own voice at first although I could feel my lips moving.

[Anonymous]

“Wha-?!?!� Damien whirled around wildly, eyes wide in fear and confusion. What in the name of Ra had just happened?

Faraday had too looked as if her soul had been on fire for merely a split second- it made him wonder- and then…she’d grabbed his arm before…he blinked in disbelief. People just didn’t get…the only word he could describe it was dragged…yes, people didn’t just get dragged away, kicking and screaming, by an invisible force. It didn’t happen. What kind of supernatural force was behind all this? He didn’t doubt for a second that it was Arashel.

“Faraday!� He cried, whipping out to grab her hand, but he clutched at thin air. She was gone, wide eyed and horrified.

Damien threw the others a look of utter despair, torn in two. Why were there so many choices to make? What mattered more to him? His eyes flicked from the soup and bread to the two huddled figures blinking at him, to the now empty hallway, a whirlwind of what it had been.

“What is this?!� Vivian’s fierce demand.

“I-I don’t know.� Damien hung his head, speaking softly. Golden locks fell across his eyes; he shook his head to get them out of the way. For now Vivian and the winged man were safe, though it seemed he was bleeding again, having been dropped by Vivian.

“Sh-should one of us go after her?� The man was obviously in pain.

Mind set into a fierce determination, Damien nodded. “Vivian, look after him. I…I will go.�

He brushed the ruffles and folds in his clothing, and made sure the laces in his black boots were done. It wouldn’t do to have him trip up. He nodded again, eyes burning with fire, and raised a hand in the universal gesture before he tore down the hallway after Faraday, with just a light breeze to indicate he’d left.

It wasn’t hard to see which way Faraday had gone- heavy furniture had been knocked astray, a knight in shining armour had toppled over, candle sconces were askew…the path of destruction would light his way.

He hadn’t had time to change his white shirt- which was ripped, dirty, and stained with blood, nor his leather pants- which had a tear through one of the knees, so he made quite a figure as he literally flew down the corridors. Curtains whipped as he sped past, tapestries fluttered in his wake.

Stopping abruptly, Damien backtracked a few steps. Peering into an archway, he could dimly make out shelves upon shelves of leather bound books. The tomes glistened in the candlelight, and through the little windows he could see that the sun was now setting. Blood reds bled into rich oranges, giving the effect of a brilliant splash of watercolour on canvas. One day, I will paint again.

For now, the soul sphere here was safe, but he wasn’t going to take chances. Closing his eyes, he took a breath, and hummed slightly. A small glowing sphere drifted towards him, literally disappearing as it went through his body into his heart. He patted his chest, and nodded, before taking off again.

A few floors further, Damien saw a spot up ahead where the red carpet had piled up. Slowing down to a brisk stride, he eyed the scuff marks with growing apprehension. What the hell…? He didn’t want to go any further, but…

Light material appeared, followed by a pale arm, followed by long brown hair. Damien let out a sigh of relief, which swiftly became a look of distress as he took in her bruised features. Kneeling down, he stroked her hair gently, biting his lip as he noted the bruises, the rips in the material of her dress, the cuts…

Her eyes were closed, which made her look peaceful. An angel at rest. Light from a diamond-grilled window filtered through nearby, throwing her angelic face into sharp profile.

“Faraday…wha-what…happened to you?� He murmured softly, but his words fell on deaf ears.

Her chest rose and fell, indicating that she was still alive. He blinked back tears, and smiled to himself. Should he move her? It looked as if nothing was broken. And if he moved her quickly, then, it would be OK, right?

Scooping her up, Damien cradled her once again, against his chest and took off in flight, whooshing down the corridors until he came to the bedroom that she had been in previously. He laid her tenderly onto the bed, and quickly ran her another bath.

Before today, it had been ages since he’d last flown, and now old habits had taken root again. At least he could still fly. Damien promised to himself that when…not if, but when she woke up, he would take her flying under the night sky, before…his heart hurt to say this…before he would interrogate her. He didn’t know how harsh he would have to be, but whatever it was, whatever deal she had made with the devil, it looked as if she was on the worse side of the bargain, and Damien swore that he would set her free.

Curse you, Arashel! He couldn’t find the elf on his own; he’d need help. Damien massaged his temples wearily, catching his tired reflection in the misty mirror. Too much responsibility, too many decisions. Were Vivian and the man OK? And what of any other vampires?

He’d lain hidden for centuries, shutting out any contact with other vampires. If he sent out a call to the other vampires, would they hear him? More importantly, would they heed his call?

((Sorry fo the long post, but hoped you enjoyed reading it anyway! Though please let me know if you want me to cut down or anything. It’d be kinda cool for Arashel to have a string of souls or something, like on a necklace…ha, that’s a cool idea. Might give one of my charries one of those…XD Oh, and don’t forget to keep track of the other OOC board!))

[Anonymous]

The sound of running water woke her instantly. Stirring on top of the grand mahogany bed Faraday found herself staring up at the crimson canopy hanging luxuriously above her, her eyes searching the room, running down the length of the curtains draped on both sides of the bed frame. She couldn’t move her head, however she wanted to and tried to. It just felt like if she moved at all her head would roll off the bed and right out the door. She winced as she arched her back a little. A hand came to her chest where she felt a distinct bruise. Oh, that felt horrid. She reminded herself to never bruise a breast ever again because it was the worse feeling in the world.

Her mind suddenly darted back to what happened. She tried to suppress the memory so she didn’t have to relive it, yet one part of it remained. Arashel had taken off without warning and she wish she knew why. Where was he? Close by that was for sure because the pain on her chest had stopped. She wasn’t being dragged anymore and obviously someone had carried her back to this place.

Oh, that had been a painful experience she never wanted to experience again. In all her years of being alive this was the first time she had ever been seriously injured. She was alive, that much was clear and it put her mind at ease for the moment.

Forcing herself to sit up, she propped herself onto her elbows and instantly recognized where she was. Damien’s room. And there was light and sound coming from the bathing room she had been in earlier. Did Damien find her? Did he save her?

Faraday blinked and groaned suddenly as she scooted to the edge of the bed, one hand shooting up to her shoulder to hold the torn robe in place before it slipped off her body. She tested her feet on the floor, happy to be able to stand even though every step towards the bathroom was more excruciating that she wanted to admit to herself. Stopping by the doorway she peered in at Damien and her smile curved in tenderness.

“Thank you,� she whispered coming up to him, placing a shaky hand on his shoulder. Her hand met the edge of his sleeve and flinched once before she laid it down on his arm.

The warmth from his body calmed her and she looked up at him her eyes full of uncertainty. How much to tell him of what happened. Yet she was not one for lying or keeping secrets, but Arashel’s secrets ran deep, deeper than she would have liked to have gone, and there was something about Damien that sparked her interest. Made her think of better things than her own personal problems she was carrying around in that head of hers. Something that kept Faraday at Damien’s side.

An oddly primitive warning sounded in her brain. Shouldn’t get too close, never too close. That is what Arashel would say if he was here. Faraday was easily lured into believing everyone was kind and gentle and Arashel had said on more than one occasion she fell in love with everyone too easily.

That wasn’t true though she knew. There was only one man she had longed for, yet now thinking about him…she knew she could never return to her past. She’d have to put those romantic feelings away. And realizing she had to do that didn’t feel so hard all of a sudden. Because Damien was here, and the thought of him brought a smile to her lips. And with being around a dark disgruntled elf all the time, she found lately not many people had that kind of power to make her smile anymore.

Faraday glanced again. She felt she had nothing to worry about. He was beautiful, yes, but there was a kinder side to Damien Faraday instantly took a liking to.

Putting away her thoughts she waited for him to speak and found a chair nearby and sat down gently, pulling the robe up to her shoulders. The unease grew with every minute and she found herself staring at him with different eyes than before. Eyes that enjoyed looking at him, yet worried at his own injuries.

“Will you be okay?� she said. “You don’t look it. Is there anything I can do?" She reached out and took a hand with hers, ignoring the robe that slipped off her right shoulder some. "Maybe you have some ointment for our skin? We could help one another put it on.�

<center> * * *</center>

Arashel hummed lightly as he quietly napped away, opening his eyes periodically to stare up at the harsh stone ceiling just inches from his face. Oh, this had been a grand hiding place he thought yanking at a hipbone underneath him and tossing it aside. Although he rather have liked not sleeping on corpses and in narrow carved-out-in-the-wall, tombs.

Apparently there was something severely wrong with this picture. That vampire, that Damien liked to go on major killing sprees, or someone in his family line had done so centuries before. Then again how old was he? Oh, he felt old. Too old and too powerful. But not quite, and if Arashel could harness that power, making it his own he might be able to free himself and Faraday so he could finally get some peace and quiet without her nagging pure of light self tagging along.

And oh not to mention he'd probably be able to wipe half the population from the planet.

Oh back to the mansion. Yes he had to say he quite liked it here. Better than living in a tree. Damn elves always thinking they had to live in trees all the time when there were perfectly good houses and mansions such as this one to accommodate such an elf. Then again yes to have a whole vault of dead corpses just rotting away underneath it all. The thought of it amused him, made him chuckle. He pulled out a splinter of a bone fragment and started to pick at his teeth. Hmm, how long would he stay here? He was unsure. But this seemed to be a good spot that the chain stretching out towards Faraday wouldn’t tug or break. Yes a very good spot indeed.

For causing trouble.

Standing he decided based on his curiosity to check the place out. Bones crunched like broken glass underneath his feet, and the stench (which would have cleared out a whole room of people) actually made his senses tingle with delight. Hmm, death and decay. It was positively making him aroused. A rat ran alongside the wall and he lifted his heavily booted foot and kicked it, enjoying the splat of the poor miserable little pest as its body exploded on the other side of the room against a wall. Laughing to himself he began to pick at the corpses, something nearby catching his attention as if its tendrils of power were calling out to him.

Another soul piece?

How many did this guy have? He was either paranoid, stupid, or maybe both. Didn’t he know that was a surefire way of having them stolen?

And oh Arashel did like stealing things, especially souls. The act itself so natural to him as breathing.

He headed towards the darkest point of the room, the wall itself at least ten to twelve feet high, the color of the bleak room a dismal shade of midnight. A tunnel was up ahead, a doorway carved in a high arch. He stopped and stared up, checking out some inscriptions along the carved top, and realized it was an ancient vampire language. One of course he could not make out. Damn him for not at least picking up the language in all his hundreds of years of living! It would have been nice to know what that said.

Not feeling an ounce of fear he headed into the dark tunnel, turning a little to the right and heading straight underneath another arched doorway. The glow from his blue eyes suddenly shifted, glowed bright red, and finally glistened a shade of pale amethyst, his natural eye color; one he rarely used except for creeping about in the dark so he could see. He pulled his braids back into a low ponytail at his neck his body warning him that something sinister and perhaps dangerous was up ahead.

Or, it used to be.

Sighing in mock relief, Arashel walked up to the fallen beast, a strange boar-like corpse that had been chained to a nearby wall. First vampires, creepy tunnels full of dead people, and now giant dead boars? Arashel was quite taking a liking to this Damien fellow. He had flair, but it seemed he kept the more uglier sides of himself underneath the stairs where nobody could see.

Arashel gave the dead beast a little kick with his steel-toed boot and then realized exactly where the soul shard was.

You have to be kidding me, he thought with a look of disgust written all over his face. Either this boar monster had eaten the shard of soul or that damn sicko of a vampire had shoved it right up this boar’sâ€"

The shadows of the room gathered around him as he squatted near the boar’s giant rear-end, lifted his hand, brought his long nails together and then stabbed the dead beast in the lower gut. Black boiling liquid flowed out of the incision he made splashing him in the face and along his arm, and Arashel dug around for some time until his greasy fingers had what they were searching for.

Yanking his hand out of that abomination he raised the sharp little piece in front of him, looking at it closely, then smiled to himself.

Yes, a soul shard and it was his.

He shook the muck from it and placed it into his palm, closed his hand around it and when he opened it up again it was gone.

And to where it went, well that was a secret Arashel wasn’t keen on letting anyone know. A necromancer never gives away his secrets, but especially doesn’t reveal where he keeps the souls he steals from other life forms…

Arashel stood and turned away from the crime scene and headed back the way he came. He would have to leave again, find another hiding place. Yet the thrill of finding other rooms like this one did put an extra spring in his step.



(ooc: What if there are large French doors leading to a balcony outside like his room, lol. Maybe they can go outside later? And I can’t remember what color the sheets are so sorry if I get details wrong, lol. Too much to remember.)

[Anonymous]

Vivian turned her eyes back to the boy in her arms. This was too much. She was just out for a regular transformation tonight not a full blown supernatural night. She lifted him slowly off of the cold floor and moved him to the couch Faraday and Damien had been sitting on.

"Let me see if I can find something to clean you up." She wandered around hoping a bathroom of some kind would be somewhere or something. She lucked out it was very close right next to the kitchen area. She wandered into it the dark black counter shining back at her as candle light bounced off of it. She touched the cold marble, and it relaxed her and she tried to gather her thoughts.

She sighed and started going through cabinet and shelves. She found bandadges, cleanser and a washcloth. Now she just needed water and a bowl. She headed to the kitchen for those. She reached into the cabinet finding most of the bowls as if they had never been moved. No dust sat in them but they had an aged smell. She almost expected it to crumble when she picked it up. She filled it with water and hurried back to the boy and knelt down next to the couch setting her supplies on the floor. She started with his arms first. He had wounds everywhere.

"My name is Vivian Langre." She carefully cleaned the wounds and started to put the bandadges across them. She looked at his other arm. This might end up being an endless task. She lifted him up and saw blood trickling down his back she gasp as she saw the arrow embedded in him. She ran her fingers over the wound so lightly she could barely feel his skin.

"um...we will need to take that out." She felt her palms start to sweat at the idea of having to take that out of his back. She winced as she realized how much pain he must be in.

[Anonymous]

After the blonde guy- “Damien�, the girl had called him- left, the wolf woman seemed to recover from the shock that had caused her to drop me. She knelt beside me and cautiously picked me up again, carrying me to over the couch the girl had been sitting on minutes before- before she’d been hauled off. I shuddered, seeing her dragged down the hallway over again in my mind. What if one of us was next?

The burnt, broken arrow tip was jarred again when she set me down on the couch. I whimpered softly and put my arms around her, not letting go of her again until the pain faded. Reluctantly I loosened my hold on her, allowing her to leave me while she searched for supplies to tend my wounds. I didn’t want to be left alone here, in this room with four walls and a roof and no way out, for long.

She returned carrying a washcloth, bandages, some cleanser and a bowl of water. Walking briskly over to the couch, she knelt beside me and set everything down before she began. Every inch of my body seemed to be covered in cuts and bruises. This could take a long time.  

I winced as the cleanser stung my cuts, the ear closest to her flicking in her direction when she spoke.

“Thank you, Vivian. You’ve been so kind to me.� I replied weakly, turning my head to look over my shoulder for a second before I opened my mouth. “You’ve carried me here on your back, tried to help me not to panic, and now you’re taking the time to clean and dress my wounds.� A single tear managed to pull itself free from my eye and slide down my sunken cheek. She’d shown more concern for me in a matter of hours than anyone else really had in years.

“I’m Ruscanti Seht-Avihikarda, by the way,� I introduced myself, regaining my composure. One eyed twitched at the mention of the single syllable stuck in front of my surname that always reminded me I was a mutt, but since she’d told me her last name it was only fair that I told her mine. Hopefully she wouldn’t recognize the Aquilan word that denoted a bastard child anyway.

“If you’d like, you can call me Rus.�

I yelped in pain as she carefully lifted me, and tried to stay calm even though I’d heard her gasp. I appreciated her gentleness when she touched the bleeding arrow wound that accompanied the long slash wounds on my back, knowing how painful an accidental jab would have been.

The long cuts were claw marks, some of them almost an inch deep and a couple feet long, running from my neck to my waist. A few of them had missed my jugular vein purely out of luck. Mere milimetres in the difference could have made most of them fatal.  

Um…we will need to take that out.

“I know,� I whispered, trying to be brave about it. The pain was terrible, but I felt the colour drain from my already pale face at the thought of removing the arrow although I knew the wound would never heal if it was left there. She looked a little nervous herself, and I wondered whether she was up to pulling the snapped-off piece of charcoal that had once been an arrow out of my shoulder. Maybe she was disturbed by blood? I hoped she wasn’t. Oh gods damn themselves, what if she got all upset like my father did?! We were really screwed then, weren’t we?

[Anonymous]

Behind him, back on the canopied bed, Damien heard Faraday stir, imagining her delicate eyelids flutter, and the shock that would be evident upon her angelic face as she took in her surroundings. He just wished that she was as innocent as she looked, but no matter which way he saw it now, she was tainted by association. He didn’t know what league she was in, and once again swore to free her before it was too late.

His acute hearing took in the fact that she was moving, moving yet in so much pain. He heard the winces above the splash of the running water, and stiffened slightly as he felt her soft hand upon his shoulder as she whispered:

"Thank you.�

Those two words were full of gratitude and spoken so softly. She ran her hand lightly down his arm, causing him to shudder ever so slightly. He met her uncertain eyes, and saw that they were brimming with tears and secrets, sparkling revelations that stretched and shivered like a flower. A beautiful flower with a stem so delicate and fragile that was buffeted by the heavens, and left to fend for itself in the wilderness.

Biting his lip, his eyes followed her graceful frame as she sat down on a chair, pulling her robe up around her like a comfort blanket. It was those small things that made him smile. Made him remember what it was like to be human, to have other feelings, less turbulent ones. To be able to feel as passionately as he did was a blessing yet a curse in itself.

“Will you be okay?�

“If you promise not to fade away,� he murmured softly, lips curving in the slight smile that spoke of sadness yet hope. It was his trademark smile, the one that everyone saw and the one that had so many meanings.

He went up to her and kneeled beside her, indicating that the bath was ready. A mist of steam enveloped him, condensing upon his face like dewdrops, or tears, if one wished, though they weren’t blood tears.

“You don’t look it. Is there anything I can do?� She took his hand, surprising him a little. A little bit of robe slipped off, and he found that he couldn’t take his eyes off her pale flesh.

“Maybe you have some ointment for our skin? We could help one another put it on.�

Damien smiled again, flicking the hair from his eyes as he looked at Faraday, searching for the part that would ultimately reject him. But he found nothing. Instead, a peaceful passiveness that gazed back, patiently waiting. It wasn’t the best pick-up line, but still, it had been a long time since a woman had gazed at him like that. But that was his own fault, no one else’s.

He laid a hand gently against Faraday’s face, and breathed in her sweet scent. He was about to move closer to her, but something stopped him. A moment of hesitation. A moment of doubt. And memories of heartbreak…

The last time a woman’s laughter had echoed off these bathroom walls had been…so long ago. He remembered bubbles, laughter…and the smell of her blood. Splashing around in the soapy water, his hunger had grown and grown, and the uneasiness until…the screams began, the desperate thrashing, the shrieks…and the blood red water.

However the memories of female vampires had been more pleasant, even painful. But it had been a long time since he’d last been in vampire company. Could he trust himself? It wouldn’t mean anything, though.

Turning away painfully, he went to the cabinet and got out the ointment Faraday had requested. Unscrewing the lid, he breathed in the sharp aromatic herbs to clear his mind.

No, romance would never work again. He heard Faraday climb into the bath, and felt a sudden sadness for everything. Perhaps he should never have taken her here. Or any of the others.

Shaking his head, Damien went to the edge of the bathtub and laid the ointment on the tiled sides of the tub, taking care to not look at Faraday, even though he didn’t need to even look at her to know what emotions would be playing across her mind this very instant. Confusion.

Just then he felt a sharp pain wrack his body from deep within. Letting out an involuntary gasp, he doubled over, clutching his heart. Unfortunately, the movement caused him to overbalance and Damien went headfirst into the bathtub, sending a spray of bubbles and water everywhere.

“Shit!� He gasped, coming up for air. His already tattered shirt had just about fallen to pieces; he took in the bits of cloth that floated in the water whilst he shivered violently. Another soul shard had been stolen, and his body was trying to make up for the emptiness by warming him up. Unfortunately the suddenness was too much.

Teeth chattering, he saw Faraday huddled in the corner with a wide-eyed expression, and then she bit her lip as she decided what to do. But for him, there was only one way to keep himself warm now whilst his broken soul tried to mend itself. Wading through the water- still in leather trousers, which made it all the more difficult, he cupped her chin he raised his own face to kiss her dainty mouth ever so lightly. His other hand held her close to him and his internal scars began to heal as he made contact with her warm flesh. The healing touch was enough to inflame old memories, and soon the kiss was more, more desperate, more depth, more feeling, just more.

Eyes closed, he allowed his astral body to zoom in on the dungeons, and there he saw Arashel exit with a spring in his step.

((Heh heh, sorry if I took the initiative somewhat Lazuli! And sorry for keeping you guys waiting!))

[Anonymous]

(ooc: Don’t worry a little initiative is a good thing! *dies at the last post* OMG, he just fell into the bathtub, that’s so funny and yet so sexy at the same time. Now this shall be fun, this kind of writing is my cup of tea. XD)

 
“Damien?� Faraday said, reaching out to touch him gently, uncertain of what was happening, but then without warning the pale blonde man was upon her, like a hungry animal devouring her.

Faraday’s skin prickled with heat at the intensity of his kiss, and her mouth could not move for she was unsure how to go about this. She had never been kissed in her life. No, she had never been this close to a man, however she had been told what lovemaking was, and had seen other couples kiss one another and embrace from her bedroom window. She recalled fond memories of watching people, taking in how everyone below the palace was living their lives happily without the constraints that were upon her very life. How had it felt? What was it like to be with the one that loved you so much they would give up their lives to be forever with you, until the end of time?

All those memories welled up inside her painfully. A longing burned in her bosom, one that had desired the same contact, the same intimacy, to be held and touched and not be denied.  

At last something calmed her deep down inside her lower belly and she mimicked his kiss, her soft brush of flesh against flesh sparking a strange sensation in her deep blue eyes. It was so foreign to her yet at the same time so real, so burning with fire she would burst into flames at any moment. She found her body gliding effortlessly into his lap; her legs straddling him around his waist as he pulled her closer to him, her soft curves molding to the contours of his lean body. She sat on him gently; the position of their bodies so intimate and so sinful it caused her porcelain skin to turn a deep shade of dusky rose.

Damien. He radiated a vitality that drew her like a magnet. Something golden and warm escaped her, like the contact with him was healing her poor aching body, and he was drinking it up into his very own. She didn’t know what to call this, but at that moment Faraday desired to give him something more of herself, to give him everything if only he would stay like this forever, always holding her, always with his hands caressing her like so. The very air around her seemed electrified as her heart pounded in her chest, sending her blood coursing through her body like a mighty river.

She broke the kiss suddenly and found her arms draped around his strong shoulders. Her breath was caught in her throat at the fire that began to pulsate through her lower body. Embarrassed at her own arousal (although she could not give a name to the feeling) she pressed her face into his neck and shivered, fingers running through his hair gently. Faraday pressed herself closer to him, unwilling to let him go just yet and kissed at his neck.

“Damien,� she breathed in his ear. “I…I don’t know what to do. But please…don’t stop. I need you to free me. This is the only way I know how. I want you to…make love to me.�

Faraday moved to look him in the eyes just then, a hand coming to caress his cheek tenderly, searching his eyes for something she was unsure of. Would he reject her? Would he be like the last man she felt this way for? Yes, she felt this way towards Damien. She easily loved people no matter where they came from or who they were, but there was something very different in the way she loved Damien. As if she always wanted to be by his side, no matter what. Even if he one day didn’t want her anymore. Would he look at her as just an object to be worshiped, and not a soul that needed love and affection? She was unsure. All she knew was that she wanted to be free to love him, and not held back by who she was.

“Please, I need you to love me.� Her head fell back then, the glistening pale flesh at her neck inviting him to take more...

[Anonymous]

"Rus," She smiled remembering one of the young wolves in her pack being named that. "Count to ten," She waited for him to reach six and then pulled the peice of arrow out and covered the wound putting light pressure on it with the cloth.  She saw the blood sink through the cloth like dots of a pin and felt a twitch come to her eye. The weird contradiction of being human and desiring human blood. Though his blood did not smell quite human.

 Poor boy, she could not help but think again. She saw that the blood had stopped flowing and cleaned the wound carefully and bandadged it. She nodded at her work. He looked better already. Some of the wounds were not covered but they were small enough they would heal themselves. She rustled his hair. "You are very brave, took this all very well." She felt almost like he was her pup. She had never had a litter and had been so mournful at having missed out at having her own pack.

She went to empty out the bowl and throw away all the garbage. She looked for a trash can continually and could not find one anywhere. She leaned on a chair for a moment and started to sit the bowl on the counter when she caught a weird draft and a smell of something cold... she turned quickly and followed the smell to the wall. She put her hand up against the wall gentle and felt it start to move against her touch. Hey eyes widened. She turned and ran to the sink and dropped the bowl in it letting it clatter. She turned back to the wall and pushed it open further. It was dark with strange torches on the wall that almost glowed blue. Gave the whole thing a strange feel, but at the same time it felt very inviting. She walked back to Rus, she stopped in front of him breathing heavy.

"I just found something weird. Can you walk well at all?" She was almost gleeful. She loved mysteries and anything curious. "Do you think we should go into the passage?" She looked at him. He looked much better cleaned up, he looked like he would recover well. Herm ind turned back to the passage. "Come on, it could be very fun. We can learn some more about our host?" She smiled like a little girl begging her mom to give her  treat.

[Anonymous]

She smiled, and I was glad that she either didn't know or didn't care that even my name said I my blood was tainted. Looking over my shoulder again before closing my bloodshot eyes, I reached for her hand when she told me to count to ten.

"One, two, three, four, five, si- OW!" I squeezed her hand as tightly as I could, which wasn't very tight because I was frail, hurt and exhausted.

I relaxed again, knowing that the pain was almost over, and let go of her hand when she pressed a cloth lightly against the wound to soak up the blood. I felt for a second that although she wasn't squeamish like I'd worried she was, it did affect her. She was tempted by blood rather than fearful of it. She cautiously cleaned and covered the wound after it had stopped bleeding, and her expression showed a slight hint of pride in her work. I felt better although I was still in some pain and pale from loss of blood.

She ruffled my hair and told me I'd taken everything well. I felt like she was something in between a big sister and a mother to me...but I'd never had any siblings, and my mother had been cold and distant. Her presence was calming enough that I had gained almost complete control over my claustrophobia by now, and her sense of loyalty to anyone with a wolflike side alleviated the aching loneliness of my soul.

She left for a few mintues and returned, breathing hard and fast, with a grin of curiosity on her face.

"I think I can walk, but I'm not sure," I replied. She looked excited about what she had found, so I decided to try it. I stood up slowly and carefully, and although at first I felt faint I recovered after a few seconds and took a shaky step toward her. When I didn't fall over after the first step, I looked up at her and smiled.

"I don't see any reason not to. Let's go," I said, following her as she headed toward the opening of the passage.

[Anonymous]

His internal core stabilized, Damien let out a soft sigh as Faraday straddled him, welcoming him, accepting him. Sensations he hadn’t experienced in so long welled up inside of him, threatening to overspill like tears. Heat drew the dark blood to his face, giving him a rosy complexion as his lower organs responded to the brush of Faraday against his lap. Another rush of blood made him dizzy, but as his core became soothed so the turbulence within settled like the wake of a storm, and all that mattered was the here and now.

Longing made the kiss more intense than it should’ve been, more passionate. It was as if both souls were so desperate to be loved that they just threw themselves at each other, not caring if they drowned or not in the sparkling sea of each other’s eyes. He hugged her wet form close to him, almost as if he was trying to protect her, and when she broke away from the kiss first, she buried her face into his hair. This act of intimacy inflamed older sensations still, and he too breathed in the scent of Faraday, as he ran two fingers through her hair.

“You do not know how beautiful you are,� he murmured gently into her ear, lips tickling the soft pink flesh. He nibbled her ear lightly, before shivering at the melodic tones of Faraday’s own voice.

“Damien, I…I don’t know what to do. But please…don’t stop. I need you to free me. This is the only way I know how. I want you to…make love to me.�

His lip trembled, eyes widening. Did…did she just say what he thought she said?  It had been oh so long since he’d last heard that phrase that to hear those words was like climbing the winding staircase of a crumbling tower, and throwing open the door at the top to let in the light. Something deep ached inside of him, a longing that drew him closer to her, and caused a low carnal sound to emit from him.

Don’t think, just act.

“I…� he began, but faltered, as he felt her fingers fumbling clumsily against his leather pants. It took a lot for him to keep his head cool then. Deep breaths…she said “free me�…free her from what? Don’t think…just act…no…control…without realising it he had guided her hands to the button on his pants, which she’d deftly unfastened.

The warmness tightened in Damien’s chest and shivering like the wings of a butterfly, he felt himself slide into a passiveness and gave up, as he just let himself go. There was no use fighting the inevitable, not if he ended up fighting himself. Somehow, the leather slipped off, and like two delicate lost souls in time, their bodies intertwined effortlessly. Damien found himself drawn to the curve of Faraday’s body, as if she were perfection itself. Her skin was so smooth, milky, and he felt her splash awkwardly as he pulled her under the water with him for a split second.

They both came up, gasping but laughing at the same, filling the room with the echoing laughter that had been so sorely missed. He wiped away strands of her wet hair from her face and kissed her neck, working up to her lips, sucking at the water that cascaded down, drinking it like a river of blood.

Don’t think, just act.

Outside, the cool night air settled over the forest like a blanket, as the canopy of stars twinkled, perhaps for once smiling with Damien instead of laughing at him.

((Erm they still haven’t done it yet…didn’t know what to write without going too smutty *smirk* Bed scene sounds promising…as does the special guest entrance from Arashel. Sorry guys for being so late…but I think I will only have time to update once or twice a week which makes me feel so bad. Not my best post, btw.))

[Anonymous]

Arashel could sense it in the air as if the electricity was moving all throughout his body. And what was happening now would doom them all if he allowed it to take place. However he wasn’t sure exactly what would cause the change in her if it happened; if Faraday actually knew sin and became that dark creature. Yet he had to act fast, one because he wasn’t sure if the vampire making love to her or biting her would cause the chain reaction that would kill them all.

Standing and stepping slowly through the mansion Arashel’s motives shifted. Instead of capturing the vampire and stealing souls he now was on a mission to protect. How ridiculous. What exactly was he protecting? Himself of course! He was attached to the girl after all.

Finally he made his way down the hallway where the vampire’s main room was, feeling the sensations from the young virgin travel up his spine. He knew exactly what was going on and for some reason he felt furious, like he wanted to take that vampire’s head and squeeze it between his hands until it exploded. Not thinking not even wondering if his next decision was reasonable Arashel wasted no time in revealing himself to the passionate couple in the bathtub, but not before he tugged painfully on Faraday’s lifechain, sending her spiraling out of the bath tub and cascading across the floor behind him.

Faraday came to a halt just outside the door and Arashel narrowed his eyes at Damien, a black ball of dark power forming in his hands as black flames erupted all over his arm, which he sent crashing into the bath tub where Damien was. Turning on his heel he scooped up Faraday scowled at her and took off down the hallways pulling all his power and resources to vanish along with her from sight…


(ooc: Sorry for the wait! Dead muse...)

[Anonymous]

Vivian looked towards Rus as they entered into the dark hallway. She saw he was having some difficulty walking and moved to help him. She tried to find some clues as to where they were but she barely knew anything.

"Does anything look familiar to you? Any clues?" She frowned at the strange smells that hit her senses. She looked around again as they moved farther trying to find something to explain it. She was met with nothing.

[Anonymous]

Brr... it was cold in here. And dark. I was colourblind in the dark, and was now seeing everything in black, white and varying shades of grey.

Shivering slightly, I folded my wings around myself for warmth. The passageway was pretty narrow, too, and the ceiling was low. I tried to force myself to stay composed, and although fear could easily be detected in my eyes and expression I managed not to panic.

I smiled gratefully up at her when she came to help me, leaning gently on her arm for support. Lack of sleep, loss of blood, starvation and the hellish shift to wolf and back had weakened me physically, but mentally I felt the shaky remains of my mind's framework stabilize a little.

Canine ears flicked in the direction of her voice, and I looked around in search of anything familiar. Nothing.

"I don't recognize anything here," I told her. My voice was atleast audible now, although it was still a little weak. I hadn't expected the passage to reach this far, but I was sure that I could follow it all the way to the end with Vivian's help. And atleast we weren't lost... were we?

[Anonymous]

Amidst the heat and deep sensations that travelled through his body, Damien suddenly felt that something was fundamentally wrong. It wasn’t just intuition; it was as if an oppressive weight was bearing down upon them, squeezing the atmosphere, forcing him to choke. He let go of Faraday slightly; mood broken. She seemed to not have realised what was going on yet, for she gave a small carnal moan of protest, a sound so wicked that he’d never expected to hear it from her.

Suddenly an apparition appeared before him as with a forceful tug Faraday was sent spinning away from him; his eyes widened in horror as he recognised that sharp profile of fury instantly. Arashel! And in the flesh too! In a whirlwind of emotions Damien had shut himself down completely, standing up to glare straight at him with only the foaming bubbles to protect his modesty.

She skidded across the floor, screaming as Damien leapt out of the way of Arashel’s dark fury. In mid-air he spun around, absorbing the dark energy whilst soap suds flew everywhere. Coughing furiously as he landed, he doubled over whilst purple lightning crackled up and down his body, slowly being neutralised. He swallowed painfully, and lifted a hand to wipe the curtain of wet straggly hair from his face in time to see Arashel practically dragging Faraday out of the room.

If he wasn’t in so much pain he would’ve gone after them. If he’d been stronger he would’ve gone after them. But as it was, he stayed there, half kneeling, half crouching. Bringing a hand up to shield his eyes, he slammed the other into the tiled floor, causing rivulets of blood to run down his fist.

Nothing could describe how he felt at this moment. Actually…he was completely devoid of emotion. It was as if a black and white crackling static had engulfed his mind, leaving him in shock and unable to think. What was the meaning of this?

((Hmm…perhaps Arashel takes Faraday to a passage which is how you guys could bump into each other?))

[Anonymous]

ooc: Umm can we not write how other characters belonging to someone else feels and acts? LOL. Faraday wouldn’t have felt this at all: “ She seemed to not have realised what was going on yet, for she gave a small carnal moan of protest, a sound so wicked that he’d never expected to hear it from her.� She is a tricky charrie of mine that she wouldn’t feel like a normal person especially in this scene and wouldn’t have done that. And as for moving oh I’m cool when a charrie is out cold or needs to be moved by say injury or something or some scene we talked about, but not in scenes like that when my charrie wouldn’t be doing those sort of things, thank you. ^_^


Deeper and darker into shadow they went until all light was gone. Arashel kept a firm hold on her naked body, one which become increasing cold the longer he walked carrying her. Her wet head pressed against his chest, the heat of his hands pressed roughly into her skin, Faraday could only watch as the walls and ceiling seemed to zoom passed them in a blurry of sensations and colors until at last there was no color, and she felt herself placed slowly down onto the ground, the floor beneath her dirty and warm against her skin.

“Here, put this on,� he said throwing her something that felt oddly like a dress.

She supposed he had snatched it along the way to where they were going. Where they had ended up at? She wasn’t too sure. Faraday slipped it on and after a few moments found exactly which side was front and pulled the tight silk and brocade up over her arms, lace tickling at her elbows where the tight-fitted sleeves pressed into her bare skin. Looking down it was devoid of color, of life, but then again so was the rest of her she realized as she passed a mirror and could only see the shadowed outline of her body, her eyes two black pits of obsidian.

Eventually her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she could see dim light up ahead and realized the only reason she could not see or feel light was because they…they…

“You’re with me,� Arashel said placing a strong arm on her shoulder before he began to button up the legion of buttons that went from her back all the way up to her neck from behind.

That done he left her side and took her hand and gently led her down through the kitchen, the music of this dark place they were in aching and protesting against her ears. It was as if the walls themselves were moaning in pain, the noise so unfamiliar and frightening to her ears it took all her willpower to focus on the sound of Arashel’s voice and not this dark music. She blinked as the kitchen counter before them seemed to melt into the wall moving out of the way as they passed right through it, but looking back Faraday could see it hadn’t moved at all.

“We are hidden,� Arashel said at last. “And we are leaving. Come along."

With that they continued on until they came to a dark passage and she felt Arashel stop, the tightening of his hand in hers a sign that something wasn’t right. Without speaking he quickly turned the other way and began to haphazardly move throughout the mansion until Faraday was sure they were lost. Until Faraday was sure she would pass out from being surrounded by nothing but wasted away images and sound, until at last Arashel pulled her out of darkness and into cold night air.

Faraday gasped breathing in the fresh air hands tightening around a railing that was spread out from both sides of a balcony. Arashel stood beside her hands folded across his chest as his eyes that glittered like little pink jewels searched back and forth almost if he was lost in deep thought, but Faraday had seen that look before when Arashel was twisting together dark magic or seeking it nearby.

- There is only one way to go â€" he spoke in her mind suddenly looking down at her.

Then again he took her hand and led her down a spiraling staircase, pretty little garden flowers wiping passed her face as he pulled her into a maze-like garden where pale statues of men and women looked as if they came to life against the pale moon light, looking over their shoulders staring at her. Faraday gasped as a woman missing her arms turned back to glance at her and she quickly asked Arashel where they were and why the statues were moving.

“You and your overactive imagination…its just a trick of the light Faraday, nothing else,� he said pulling her closer to him. “Keep up.�

At last they made it to the center of the garden where a large gazebo stood, encircled by lovely little flowers, the light of the moon lighting the place up in full glory. There was a bench and a large fountain nearby and it seemed this little spot had been hollowed out from the rest of the garden and they both trotted up into the gazebo where Arashel stood side by side with her, feet on the top step looking out at this vast garden. And there is where they stayed as his other hand touched the gazebo walls and masked it from the rest of the world.

“There’s a graveyard nearby…yet,� Arashel began his face twisting into a mask of disgust. “There is something else nearby…it would be unsafe for you to travel there with me. Your scent would draw the creature near. I however will be safe…yet…it is too great a distance for us to be separated again.�

“What,� she said looking up at him, “what are we to do?�

Arashel wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her away from the open space of the gazebo before tugging her over to sit near the middle where a large statue of a griffin was erected, its wings unfurled behind him.

Faraday sat there on the stone bench as she watched Arashel go to work placing spells onto the gazebo itself. He mumbled something about keeping her hidden before squatting down and running a gloved leather finger along the ground, a black line burning into the ground and sending small puffs of black smoke skyward.

“You’ll be safe here for now. I’ll go and take care of the creature prowling around near the forest, then I’ll come back for you and take you with me. We’ll leave this place.�

“Do we have to?� she said looking up at him and pouting.

Arashel sighed slowly and bonked her on the head lightly. “Yes we do you brat, don’t you understand who that man is? He’s a vampire! He’s dangerous Faraday, he can kill youâ€"or worse he can set you free!â€?

Faraday looked up at Arashel confused. “But isn’t my freedom from being a Djinn a good thing? And I don’t feel anything dangerous coming from him. Damien is good. He’s a good man, no matter what he is Arashel!�

In one quick fluid motion he was on her pulling her up to her feet, embracing her gently and smoothing out her hair.

“Oh Faraday what am I ever going to do with you? Don’t you understand? This isn’t a big safe world, there are creatures out there like me who want to do bad things to you, who would take advantage of that light inside you. I just want,� he said looking down at her and smiling softly, “want to protect you.� He patted her head and turned from her stepping out of the small little sanctuary he made for her and looking back over his shoulder. “Now be a good girl and stay put. Don’t make a sound, you can still be heard. And do not play with the griffin!� he said glancing at it suddenly. “Or touch it. In fact don’t touch anything…�

And in the next moment he was gone leaving Faraday sitting there staring up at the strange bird creature which she was sure had turned its head and was looking at her curiously.

“Hello,� she whispered to it before covering her mouth with both hands and giggling a little.

[Anonymous]

Vivian lifted her nose a weird cold smell came to her nostrils. Was it outside air? Her eyes narrowed. She pulled Russ closer to her and moved forward. The walls started to move out slowly and there was light ahead.  There was something that smelled like air but it tasted strange in her mouth almost dead. Her eyes strained to see forward but of course her Wolf eyes were gone at the moment completely gone.

She felt dust start at her feet and then she looked ahead and saw that there was a wall. She pushed at the wall and it creaked slightly then she pushed harder taking her arm away from Russ and it creaked again. She took a deep breath. Her eyes narrowed at the door. It felt like it woul not budge. She looked at Russ her eyes starting to tear she led him down a giant assageway to nothing and now who knows if they could go back. She turned back to the wall. She closed her eyes and then her pawrpint on her right insice elbow and the moon on the left arm started to glow a light blue and her arms started to grow fur and the muscles grew up and her arms started to ripple into her wolf ones as she pushed the door open and the marks on her arms started to grow brighter. The stone wall fell to the ground and crashed into dusty peices. Vivian's eyes widened as she looked at her arms. She stepped outside into the garden and almost collapsed against a wall and held her wolf arms in front of her face. Tears ran down her face that caught the light and almost matched the arm markings. She had such insane joy in her it felt so strange and she felt at home suddenly. She looked at the oily looking claws and she cried more.

[Anonymous]

(OOC: Sorry for having to disappear :()

She sniffed the air, her eyes narrowing, and pulled me closer. The passageway widened, and when I looked ahead the blacks and greys of everything around me gave way to two or three dull colurs that could barely be distinguished from one another in the partial light. The air felt... lifeless, almost as though if air could die, it had done so. I convinced myself it was simply because this passage was abandoned.

The passage ended in a wall. Vivian pressed against the wall but it didn't move. She took her arm away from me to push the wall again and I leaned against the opposite wall, still feeling lightheaded.  The door resisted a second shove and I looked nervously at the door in front of us, walls on either side, the ceiling above me, and the thick black darkess over my shoulder. I fought the urge to panic. What if we were trapped?

She looked at me and I could see in varying shades of grey the unshed tears clouding her bright eyes. I took a few unsteady steps toward her and went to curl the wing farthest from the arrow wound around her shoulders, the way I'd seen humans put their arms around eachother's shoulders to comfort one another.

I watched in awe as the tattoos of a pawprint in the crook of one elbow and a moon on the other arm glowed blue. Her arms turned to wolf forepaws and she moved away from me to push at the door again.

The door splintered, and the entire stone wall went down. The new opening revealed a garden, which she entered and collapsed against a wall, looking tearfully at her arms. I tried to follow her outside, but I tripped over some rubble from the fallen wall and when I tried to get back up, was overcome by dizziness.

 I looked at Vivian. I couldn't tell at first whether she was crying from joy or sadness until I noticed that, through her tears, she was smiling. I tried to find why, but my empathy remained dormant and I had know other way of knowing that she hadn't known she could do what she had just done, so I was a little confused.

My sharp ears picked up a soft, girlish giggle in the distance and I recognized the voice of the girl who'd been pulled away down a dark hall earlier. Although I barely knew the girl, I was relieved to see her alive after what had happened before. I gestured toward her direction, using my other arm to pull myself into a half-sitting, half-lying down position.

"Look," I said to Vivian, still pointing toward the girl.